The total paid out to authors by Kindle Unlimited through the KDP Select Global Fund has broken through the $1 billion mark five years after the KU subscription scheme started, with the total sum now standing at $1,011,135,000 ($1.011 billion).
The Kindle Unlimited KENP rate for July 2019 fell back to $0.0044 after three consecutive months at $0.0046 while the KDP Select Global fund for July 2019 went up by a hefty $700,000 to $25.6 million from $24.9 million in June.
In the UK market, the KENP rate for July 2019 fell to £0.0032 from £0.0034 in June 2019 and £0.0033 in May and April.
The July 2019 KDP fund of $25.6 million was nearly 11% up on the $23.1 million paid out in July 2018.
The fall in KENP rate is a seasonal trend as July and August generally ease back from the spring months before usually increasing again in the autumn.
Kindle Unlimited launched in July 2014 so it’s taken exactly five years to get to the $1 billion figure. The annual totals are:
- 2014: $31.735 million (Jul-Dec)
- 2015: $131.6 million
- 2016: $186 million (Annual increase from 2015-2016: 41.33%)
- 2017: $222.6 million (Annual increase from 2016-2017: 19.67%)
- 2018: $267.8 million (Annual increase from 2017-2018: 20.35%)
- 2019: $171.4 million (Jan-July)
- Grand total overall of $1,011,135,000 ($1.011 billion)
For July 2019, using the calculation of dividing the total KDP Select fund ($25.6 million) by the US KENP rate ($0.0044) to get an idea of the total number of KENPs read during the month results in 5.8 billion KENPS, a strong rise from June’s 5.4 billion KENPs, 5.3 billion KENPs in May and 5.2 billion KENPs in April.
These estimates should not be regarded as necessarily being the overall total number of KENPs read during a month as they do not take into account any margin taken by Amazon. They are based entirely on the amount paid out under the KDP Select Global fund.
The US KENP payout figures for 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 are:
2016
January: $0.0041
February: $0.0047 (KENP v2.0 introduced)
March: $0.0047
April: $0.0048
May: $0.0046
June: $0.0049
July: $0.0048
August: $0.0045
September: $0.0049
October: $0.0052
November: $0.0053
December: $0.0052
2017
January: $0.0047
February: $0.0049
March: $0.0046
April: $0.0045
May: $0.0043
June: $0.0042
July: $0.0040
August: $0.0041 (KENP v3.0 introduced)
September: $0.0044
October: $0.0045
November: $0.0046
December: $0.0050
2018
January: $0.0044
February: $0.0046
March: $0.0045
April: $0.0045
May: $0.0045
June: $0.0046
July: $0.0045
August: $0.0045
September: $0.0048
October: $0.0048
November: $0.0052
December: $0.0048
2019
January: $0.0044
February: $0.0047
March: $0.0045
April: $0.0046
May: $0.0046
June: $0.0046
July: $0.0044
The monthly KDP Select Global fund totals for 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 are:
2016
January: $15 million
February: $14 million (KENP v2.0 introduced)
March: $14.9 million
April: $14.9 million
May: $15.3 million
June: $15.4 million
July: $15.5 million
August: $15.8 million
September: $15.9 million
October: $16.2 million
November: $16.3 million
December: $16.8 million
Overall total for 2016: $186 million
2017
January: $17.8 million
February: $16.8 million
March: $17.7 million
April: $17.8 million
May $17.9 million
June $18 million
July: $19 million
August: $19.4 million (KENP v3.0 introduced)
September $19.5 million
October $19.7 million
November: $19.8 million
December: $19.9 million
Overall total for 2017: $222.6 million
Annual increase from 2016-2017: 19.67%
2018
January: $20.9 million
February: $20 million
March: $21 million
April: $21.2 million
May: $22.5 million
June: $22.6 million
July: £23.1 million
August: $23.3 million
September: $23.4 million
October: $23.5 million
November: $23.6 million
December: $23.7 million
Total for 2018: $267.8 million
Annual increase from 2017-2018: 20.35%
2019
January: $24.7 million
February: $23.5 million
March: $24 million
April: $24.1 million
May: $24.6 million
June: $24.9 million
July: $25.6 million
Total for 2019 so far: $171.4 million
The annual total figures for Kindle Unlimited since it started are:
2014: $31.735 million (Jul-Dec)
2015: $131.6 million
2016: $186 million
2017: $222.6 million
2018: $267.8 million
2019: $171.4 million so far
Grand total overall of $1,011,135,000 ($1.011 billion)
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